In the United States, some groups express their identities, in part, by using multiple languages or by using English in distinctive ways. Some dominant groups use language to express in-group belonging and to express exclusiveness, whether intentionally or unintentionally. This course explores the intersections of language, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, ability and disability, and identity by focusing on various groups in the U.S. Among other things, we will examine how Americans use language to express their distinctive cultural identities within the U.S. and we will examine how dominant groups at times marginalize others using language. Through examples drawn from the experience of ethnic groups such as Hispanics and Latinx people, Asian Americans, and African Americans; and marginalized communities such LGBTQIA people, women, and people with disabilities, students will explore broader questions such as how language shapes our perceptions and feelings of belonging. We will discover how language ideology underlies institutional policies and practices that can promote intolerance and prejudice, and how language can instead be used as a tool to foster social inclusion and belonging.
Over 70% of Americans indicate their workplace is the top location for the most frequent interaction with people who do not share their religious worldview or way of life. Furthermore, global religious populations are projected to grow at a rate 23 times higher than religiously unaffiliated populations. Religion is alive and well, and religious diversity, including secular identities, is only expected to increase in pubic and professional settings. Designed for students in all professional and public contexts, and emphasizing the case study method and opportunities to reflexively develop leadership for religiously diverse societies, this course introduces everyday interfaith leadership as the ability to draw on experience, religious literacy, and awareness of self and others to efficiently assess (inter)religiously complex situations, empathetically account for the various and often competing needs of stakeholders, and skillfully discern and take action to produce outcomes that serve the common public goods for all parties involved.